Slip into my thoughts and do watch your step

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Let the Real Dance Begin

The strangest thing happened yesterday: I made a video. Really. Not very long, just under four minutes, but it’s me, dressed pretty casually–like sweater over my pajamas casually–and I’m saying hi to a lot of women I know in a certain Facebook group to which I belong, and I’m talking about me and a little about my writing. There was a time, even before my transition, that I’d never show my face anywhere: I didn’t like taking pictures, and I never did video. Now I’m sort of like: eh, let’s just do this thing. Actually I’m sorta like: hey, I should do more.

Just one more thing to add to my multimedia empire.

I don’t know if this is a portent of something good or bad, but I wrote six hundred and sixty-six words lasts night. Well, it is a Samhain dance, so you can excuse me if that number comes up and people are bothered. Am I bovveed? Do I look bovvered to you? Actually, I’m at 668, so that makes me the Neighbor of the Beast, and they’re coming over tomorrow night for cocktails.

But seriously. I managed to get out my video, get out my writing, watch a little television–which is probably why my word count was down–and even chat with people. All in a night’s dealings.

But what about Annie? Let’s see that gown.

(All excerpts, this page, from The Foundation Chronicles, Book One: A For Advanced, copyright 2013, 2014, by Cassidy Frazee)

Her gown was satin, the color of soft, creamy gold. It was sleeveless with keyhole shoulder pads, and she wore matching fingerless lace gloves on each hand. The gown pulled in slightly at the waist and spread away in a modified semi-tight A line. The original design of the gown has a plunging V line in the front and a scoop back; the back on this gown was normal, which the front dropped only low enough to allow her heart pendant to rest against bare skin. “Thank you, Nadine. I . . .” She leaned against Kerry. “It was all his idea, really.”

Kerry looked down as he grinned. “But you’re the one that makes the gown look good.” He brushed the back of Annie’s right hand. “I just thought about what would be nice.”

“Either way, you’re both killer.” Nadine continued to admire Annie. “I like the changes you made with the outfit, too.”

“I wanted something a bit more modest.” She touched her necklace. “I wouldn’t be comfortable wearing the original design.”

By original design she means wherever Kerry saw the outfit and got the idea. She lets Mr. Geeky find the outfits, and she just does the alterations.

But there’s something else going on here:

“It looks better this way.” Kerry took Annie’s hand, raised it to his lips, and brushed a kiss against the back of her fingers.

Annie’s blush began spreading beyond her cheeks to her entire face. Kerry was his normal self throughout the day, but from the moment he saw her in this gown, his demeanor changed completely: he was attentive to her every need, he seemed to become more protective—and far more loving. Like now; Kerry wouldn’t have kissed me that way a few weeks ago—

Ah, yes: maybe Mr. Geeky is starting to get his feelings together We might find out except for . ..

“Hey, guys. Hey, Kerry.”

Annie felt her stomach drop just a little as Emma walked up and spoiled the moment. There were many things she wanted to say, but as most of them were mean, she kept them in her thoughts. Though Kerry didn’t appear disappointed, he appeared to deflated slightly. Annie felt something float away from him—from them both, actually. It was the first time she’d felt this between them and wondered if it had something to do with the heightened magic permeating the grounds.

Kerry was polite to Emma, though. “Wow.” He didn’t move from Annie’s side, but did turn and twist his head as if he were taking her in from several different angles. “You decided to go all in on this, didn’t you?”

Emma: buzzkilling relationships since two weeks before. One day she’ll do that to the wrong witch–the wrong Dark Witch, I’m thinking–and she’s gonna have to watch her butt closely.

Here’s what I have:

Hey, looks different, doesn’t it?

I’ve finished the entry into the dance, renamed the bonfire section, and altered the last part that I’d added. The times are more in sync with what’s going to happen, too. I’m doing this because, in my mind, I know how I want this chapter to now play out, and this is it. Three little scenes, but I now know how they go.

I figure I’m about half way through, which is scary. I think the next chapter will have shorter pieces, but . . . I’m shooting for the end of the year.

Oh, and you know who else isn’t sure their writing is good? Me. I get that a lot. George R. R. Martin says he sometimes feels he sucks as well, that he’ll look at stuff he wrote a few days before and go, “Why am I writing this crap?” If you’re a writer, you’re gonna hate your stuff from time to time.

It’s funny that you wrote 668 words. Wednesday, I edited, and I ended up cutting my novel from 77,094 to 76,428, which ends up being… you guessed it… 666. I’m not certain how I feel about that. Good thing it was only the chapters 1-10 of 25, eh?

What Has Gone Before

Check the Past by Date

It’s Monday, the last of September, and things are progressing as well as one may assume. My Sunday was restful, as in I had a long afternoon nap, watched The Big Short, and edited video for my upcoming freshie practice blog post, which may pop out tomorrow so I can write a bit more in […]